Alien Eyes on Earth: What Insect Vision Can Teach Astrobiology
Keywords:
Computer vision, Biomimicry, Exoplanets, BiosignaturesAbstract
The exploration of exoplanets presents both unique and interesting challenges for identifying biosignatures specifically in light spectra that the human eye cannot detect. This article explores how the compound eye of insects offers a modelable and replicable biological model for space exploration, thanks to advances in computer vision and neural networks. This approach proposes processing information from ultraviolet and polarized light spectra and translate it into useful navigation algorithms for rovers. It is proposed that the visual architecture of insects would not only be a practical tool, but also a conceptual framework for understanding how extraterrestrial life forms might perceive their environment under different conditions that affect the light spectrum, whether extreme stellar radiation, dense atmospheres, or absolute darkness.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Nicolas Ayala-Tovar (Autor/a)
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